I've never been one to check my online bank account. It's just not my thing. Who wants to place unnecessary worry on themselves? Why would I want to watch my money dwindle? Everyone's money dwindles, right? You put in your earnings, the bills start coming….you go out to eat, stop at Target….order something off of Amazon and before you know it, that paycheck has dwindled down to a tiny number in your banking account. If you're like me, when you see that tiny number….you get N E R V O U S! Especially if you're more than a week away from another "deposit".
So, denial. Denial works really well if you just ignore online banking.
Now that I've moved to the big city, I have changed my ways. Which could be good or bad depending on how you look at it. Thanks to Last Pass (my hubby's favorite techy helpmate) my account is stored very easily for me to see my banking information. Regularly. So, I check it here and there. Actually, I've probably looked at my bank account more in the last 3 weeks than I have in my total life of having money.
Yes, I talk like I'm rich. I ain't got no money, y'all! I'm just using words as a figure of speech.
How fitting would it be to sit down in (our new church) yesterday to a killer sermon on money. Oh ya, he got me. He threw out lines like, "Your heart ALWAYS follows your treasure!" and "Materialism BLINDS us to our materialism!". Yea, he said those things. The nerve. He pulled all his sermon mojo from Matthew 6:19-34. Not familiar? Go on over there and read ya some! It's packed with big girl words like, "Don't lay up treasures for yourself….The eye is the lamp….Don't be anxious…Look at the birds…." His point? MONEY HAS POWER OVER US!
I didn't get squirmy because I managed to pick THE TWO SEATS out of the whole place right behind where a certain person who makes changes on my hubby's paycheck behalf would sit. We were there first, see. But old satan, he used him to remind me of my worry about our income. So, I spent all of church…thinking about my hubby's stress of having his finances switcharoo'd by this (very nice) guy sitting right in front of us. Business is business and I understand that. But money is also important when you're losing one income, moving to a higher cost area to live and adding on costs that you didn't normally have before.
I listened.
"Don't make money your idol!"
"Jesus gave up HIS treasure – to BE your treasure!"
"Treasures will wear out & get stolen!"
"Watch out! You might be greedy!"
"Worry wastes energy and denies God is in control!"
Then, I repented because I trust God with every aspect of my life. He's proven over and over that He will bless accordingly and He will take what is His as well. It's no use for me to dwell on it. There's no reason to obsess over money. I have what I have (most of it undeservedly) and I need to use it responsibly and faithfully.
And just to prove God has a sense of humor……as I was about to fall asleep last night a show came on tv — #Rich Kids of Beverly Hills. Oh, E! You shouldn't have, but you did. First, these people are NOT kids…they are young adults who obviously have no real jobs other than spending their parents money. When I say spend it, I mean BLOW IT! The episode was a mixture of exposing each character (and boy are they characters) for their brilliant minds and their ability to "give back" with a snotty high falluting blood drive that included valet parking! Oh the irony!
I couldn't look away. It was mind-boggling! Not only did they lay it all out there for the world to see, they were proud of it. They were giggly about being so self-centered and spoiled. I couldn't help but wonder about their parents. Were they watching too? Did they see what whack job monsters they created? Do they have a clue about struggle? Or denying yourself? Anything?
And I remembered the Pastor's words. "Watch out! You might be greedy!"
What can I do with my money that honors God and not myself? I don't want to be trapped underneath the power of money. Do you?
Lord,
Thank you for blessing me with just enough money to do all you have for me to do. May I be responsible, giving and worthy.
Amen
Tags: #rich kids of beverly hills, greed, matthew 6, money woes, sermon notes